There are two projects I've discovered that make me feel proud of what we can do as human beings when motivated by love and compassion. One is Quixote Village in Olympia Washington and the other is Mobile Loaves and Fishes in Austin, TX, in general, but specifically their Community First! program.

I wanted to share these two links right at the outset so you can learn more about the great things people are doing to help poor and homeless people, rather learning on the news about how our politicians and business leaders are conspiring to rob working people, take away the most basic social safety nets, and destroy financial and environmental protections in the name of greed.

These stories are about the opposite - people more concerned with taking action to help the least powerful in society with a hand up, than helping themselves with both hands. I feel my faith in humanity restored just knowing there are people in the world who choose to work in service of the poor and powerless, without seeking any personal benefit, other than the satisfaction of being of service to those in need. Sometimes human beings are truly beautiful and noble creatures.

I met Bill Arensmeyer in Jarell Cove State park outside Shelton, WA, where he and his wife, Sherrel, were working as camp hosts in April 2017. Little did I know that he was a driving force behind the formation of Quixote Village in Olympia, WA, a tiny house community designed to serve the homeless. I had learned of Quixote Village prior to leaving my home in Texas on a quixotic mission of my own, so it was quite the coincidence that I happened to strike up a friendship with the guy who was instrumental in its formation at the very beginning. Sometimes the Universe smiles on a seeker.

Here is the story:

In 1992, Bill Arensmeyer was working as an associate minister with the Unitarian Universalist Church in Olympia, WA. He had set up a food bank program that supplemented the non-perishable canned and dry goods of the existing food bank with fresh produce and other perishables from generous local grocers. This program was delivering about $260,000 worth of food a a year to area recipients. Bill was involved in this program for about 14 years.

In 1993, he got a call about a family living in a chicken coop with two sick kids. Bill drove out to check up on them and discovered the boys both had pneumonia, so he loaded up the family of four and took the kids to a doctor for treatment and then took them to the church parsonage which was vacant at the time. In the days to come Bill connected the family with the Family Support Center in Olympia where they found more permanent housing. In a few days, the Family Support Center called saying they had two more families needing temporary shelter and could they perhaps use the parsonage as well? Not one to say no to people in need, these families were also accommodated and a new chapter was begun - Out of the Woods, a shelter for single women and women with children was set up in the 5 bedroom, 2 bath parsonage.

As word spread of this new shelter, the population swelled. Bill got the county jail to provide some surplus sleeping mats and there were up to 50 people under roof some nights. To their credit, the city official in Olympia were willing to allow a bit of latitude on certain city occupancy codes in light of the humanitarian nature of the mission, but it was necessary to install a fire suppression sprinkler system and other facilities to accommodate the increased population.

Fast forward to 2007. A city ordinance in Olympia made it illegal for people to sit or lay on the sidewalk which caused a group of indigent people to assemble in protest in a tent city in a downtown parking lot. A standoff was developing between the police and the tent city dwellers when Bill offered a solution - set up the tents on church grounds as a sort of sanctuary. This worked in the short term, but city officials decided that this tent city could only occupy a specific site for 90 to 120 days.

Undaunted, Bill contacted other area churches and got some of them to agree to serve as host for the traveling tent city. Camp Quixote was born.Contrary to what one might expect, the effect of having this tent community in the host communities was positive, both in terms of reduced trash and litter (residents were encouraged to pick up trash in host neighborhoods as a sort of "payment" in consideration of allowing them to stay), and in terms of crime. Any solo transients in the area were greeted by camp members and advised that any crime or vandalism they might commit would not be looked on favorably by the group and I suppose there was an implied threat of repercussions. Eventually, even the chief of police volunteered to help pitch the benefits of hosting the tent village to neighborhood committees because he had seen firsthand the reduced crime rates.

Another interesting development was the addition of portable 8'x8' tiny houses. Each wall consisted of two 4'x8' sheets of plywood framed with 2x2 lumber drilled to be bolted together. A gable roof assembly, also of 4x8 sheets of plywood topped the structures and thus an 8x8 portable shelter that could sleep 2 comfortably was built for about $200 at the time. These were a great improvement over tents, especially in windy, rainy conditions so common in Thurston County Washington winters.

Eventually, people who value order and decorum asserted their wills to change the priorities of both the Out of the Woods women's shelter and Quixote Village tent city. The number of women and children housed under the roof at Out of The Woods was reduced, to "elevate the standard of living for those in its care" and it was resolved that instead of tents, a village of Tiny Houses should be built for the same reason. Nobody could argue that more space is better, or a Tiny House is better than a tent, but the numbers of people helped went down drastically. Additionally, both places became "low threshold" facilities in which drinking and/or drug use was grounds for exile. Formerly, the policy was drinking or drugging on premises was forbidden, but being under the influence was not punished, unless it led to anti-social behaviors. Obviously, such policies reduced the numbers of people being helped. It might also be noted that a person with a drug or alcohol problem is not as likely to get into a recovery program if they're cast out on their own.

Two more spin-offs of Quixote Village are planned for Washington state. Called Tiny House Justice, they will both focus on homeless veterans. We can all agree that it's a disgrace the way our returning soldiers are treated. Plenty of time and effort goes into training them to kill and destroy - shouldn't at least an equal amount of attention be paid to helping them re-assimilate into society?

A larger issue arises though - does one have to serve in the military to be worthy of a modicum of support in our nation? Community First has a great saying, "Goodness has a building code: Everyone sleeps inside."

Anybody who believes it is in the interest of our nation's economic health, leaving out spiritual concerns entirely, to have people cast adrift to fend for themselves in a land of plenty, must be actively conjuring reasons why this is justified. Rather than setting our minds to the task of rationalizing why the sick and homeless deserve what they get, couldn't we turn our attention to figuring out ways to make such suffering unnecessary?

Adopt-A-Pet Volunteers - Devotion to dogs

A typical walk often passes by a running stream that occasionally has salmon swimming in it.

After my first article about Adopt-A-Pet, I kept wondering what it was like to work there as a volunteer. I had already met a lot of the staff at the front office, but I was interested in learning more about the people who actually work with the dogs.

All dogs' kennels have signs stating the particulars of each dog. This way, you know at a glance if this dog might fit in with your specific situation.

The dogs' care is tracked by both whiteboards posted on walls around the facility and paper logs on clipboards. Dogs are walked between 1 and 3 times a day each, depending on their conditions and the weather, and walks are tracked to ensure everybody gets walked.

Meds and dietary supplements are tracked an logged. I learned that often skin conditions are aggravated by dog foods containing grain, so grain free foods are provided for dogs with skin or coat problems.

Bedding, food and water bowls are regularly washed and the kennels are of course cleaned daily.

Hannah is the volunteer coordinator and she is a lively, upbeat young lady with a strong love for the dogs as individuals. Although she is usually as cheery as May sunshine, I did note her eyes welling up with tears up at the thought of a couple of the older dogs passing on - crossing the "Rainbow Bridge" in dog lover parlance.

Among Hannah's duties are scheduling volunteers, signing up volunteers and taking care of the paperwork and background checks involved, doing orientations for new volunteers, directing volunteers' activities while they're on-site, and filling in on various volunteer duties whenever there is a need. If this were a paying job, I'd have hard time placing a sufficient dollar value on the work Hannah and the other volunteers do.

The three play yards need mowed regularly, in this case by John Henson.

I also spent some time with Helena, whose love and compassion for dogs and people shows through in her every day life. She comes in EVERY morning at about 6am to dispense individual medications and dietary supplements. She also walks dogs and performs any other pressing tasks to be done, before leaving to go to her paying job as a receptionist at a veterinary clinic, where she uses her knowledge of pet care to help people better understand how best to care for their particular animal.

It happened that the day I was permitted to "shadow" Helena was her "day off" from the clinic. So strong is her love for her charges that she often spends her days off walking, sitting with, or just generally in the company of dogs who need some love.

I never got to spend much time with Di,the kennel manager, who impressed me as a sort of Mother Superior meets roller derby jammer, but she is the final authority when it comes to care, medication and feeding of the animals. She too is at the kennels 7 days a week, but that does not diminish the devotion to the dogs. She may often be seen walking dogs herself. I was able to get the following quote, "My favorite aspect of being Kennel Manager is Intake. I am responsible to bring in new dogs with owner releases, and I also work with the MACO (Mason County) Sheriff Officer Cindy, and City of Shelton Dog Pound Officer Jimmy. I absolutely love what I do for the dogs!"

I wanted to tell the story of these volunteers in hopes that knowing about these people who are easing the suffering of animals, and bringing companionship and joy to humans, will inspire you to support their work, and maybe make you feel a bit better knowing we have such sensitive and caring people in our community.

As I sign off, I wanted to acknowledge the contributions of area businesses who support Adopt-A-Pet:

These four veterinary facilities accept Adopt-A-Pet spay/neuter, emergency medical vouchers in the area:

The Magic of Mighty Tieton

In central Washington state, there is a tiny town nestled in the rain shadow on the dry side of the Cascade Mountains called Tieton (Tie -uh-tun).

Tieton is located in a sort of transition zone between the lush, green, rain-soaked mountains and the semi-arid desert region to the east. The town is blessed with lots of water for irrigation from the rivers and streams that funnel the rainwater and snow melt from the mountains into the Yakima Valley. The abundant water caught the attention of early white settlers who established farming operations alongside and near the rivers. As settlement increased, more sophisticated methods of irrigation were introduced and fruit orchards came to dominate the landscape around the town and throughout the Yakima Valley.

For decades farm families in the valley could depend on their orchard crops to support their families' way of life. Then Big Ag came in and started buying up and consolidating small land holdings and bringing in cheaper labor from south of the border. Life as a fruit farmer became a losing battle for many area residents and they either moved away, or remained in their town, always remembering the days when a family's hard work in their own orchards could afford them a decent standard of living.

As years passed, the population of Tieton came to be a majority of Hispanic heritage and some descendants of the original settlers felt they were being crowded out of their home town. A similar sentiment can be seen across the country in which white Americans are seeing their opportunities diminish, due to corporate greed. Not having access to the CEOs who are actually causing their pain AND who encourage the immigrants to come and work their holdings, they often lash out at the people with the least power to change anything - Latin American immigrants themselves.

As a proud Anglo-American, I'd suggest we might do well to remember that our own ancestors faced dismal conditions in their native lands, crossed oceans and continents, and faced tremendous dangers and obstacles with courage and hard work, to make a better life for their families. There is little difference between these pioneers and settlers and the "dreamers" who are here now, working hard in a new land to build a better life. In fact, they should be congratulated for leaving out the genocide part of the Anglo-American immigration experience (although you wouldn't know it from the rhetoric of some politicians). It is an interesting bit of trivia that, in a town that is 2/3 Hispanic, the crime rate in Tieton is about 1/3 of the national average. Maybe Mexico and other Latin-American countries were actually "sending their best".

One might expect this little town that had been passed over by the agribusiness giants and the big box stores, leaving the residents with little to hope for, and a bit of racial resentment, might be set to erupt in frustration or devolve into a ghost town. However, in 2005, a bicyclist from Seattle had a flat in Tieton and the fact that he had to stop and really SEE this special little town changed a lot of peoples' outlook and direction of Tieton for the better.

Ed Marquand is the bicyclist in the this story. What makes him interesting is the number of subjects that capture his interest: art of all types, multiple reproduction processes, fonts/typesetting/printing/bookbinding, history, architecture, decor, culture, music, drama, etc., etc. Most importantly, among the extensive list of things in which he is interested, is people.

Initially, Ed saw the deserted fruit warehouse and other empty buildings near the downtown square as affordable indoor space in which to conduct some of the activities required by his existing business, Marquand Books (It is now Lucia|Marquand - luciamarquand.com), which specialized in publishing handmade, limited edition art books back in Seattle. As he shared his enthusiasm for what he had discovered in Tieton, other Seattle professionals were intrigued by the possibilities affordable space in Tieton offered for their own enterprises. From a core group of friends and acquaintances, a set of complimentary creative businesses took shape.

One thing Ed kept firmly in mind was respect for the wants and needs of the existing community. He was very cognizant of the fact that he could be viewed with suspicion as a "city slicker" if he didn't make the effort to bring the city fathers along on his vision and how it could benefit Tieton. Unlike some public/private partnerships you hear about today, this was not a company trying to get its hands on money in the public coffers. They were just asking for a little bit of flexibility in areas involving zoning and permitted uses, as well as some cooperation in pursuing downtown improvement grant opportunities. This has resulted in a win/win/win for city, business and residents.

Park with soccer field and basketball court spearheaded by Kerry Quint of Mighty Tieton Construction

In one example of the Mighty Tieton family and the Tieton community working in tandem, Kerry Quint, of Mighty Tieton construction, formed a not-for-profit for occasional community improvement projects. Their first was the soccer field. The second was adding the basketball court. He was successful in getting City Hall, local companies, and private contributors to make it all happen.

There is still ample space available in the warehouse to be built out to new tenants' specifications. With plenty of power, compressed air, water and sewer infrastructure already in place, creative businesses have a rare opportunity to acquire affordable space that can be molded to fit their unique needs. It should be mentioned that prospective tenants' businesses will need to operate in accord with the spirit of Mighty Tieton and be socially and environmentally responsible.

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As if all this were not enough to keep a person busy, Might Tieton serves as a sort of unofficial Chamber of Commerce. Ed likes to use the phrase "reflected glory" to refer to using whatever spotlight Mighty Tieton may garner on the world stage to present unaffiliated local small and artisan businesses. Among these are:

And last, but certainly not least. Tieton Arts & Humanities, a not-for-profit organization that "that creates and implements artistic and cultural programs, in Tieton, providing sustainable opportunities for local and regional engagement and celebration. By engaging talented and creative individuals—from the Yakima Valley, the Northwest, and across the nation— we facilitate participation, collaboration, and community-based entrepreneurship among people with diverse backgrounds, ages, and education levels." To learn more about their programs and how you can support their mission visit http://www.tietonarts.org/

Vacant lot reclaimed as a community garden

Ed and I enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation at Wilridge Winery (wilridgewinery.com) a lovely spot overlooking the valley, with a tasting room featuring local wines and Tieton Cider. He said that, with all the diverse enterprises and creative personalities involved in such a mission, the trick is to find people and businesses that "get it" and enjoy the cooperative environment. Fortunately, the current collection of businesses and personalities fit together like pieces in a mosaic in which the matrix is creativity and community. It has not always been smooth sailing though. On rare occasions, some individuals with strong personalities were quite assertive in putting forth their creative "visions", but not so forceful in doing the actual work, or devoting their own resources to its success. Ed mentioned his partner used the term "too many managers". That phrase struck me as exactly the larger problem in our country today: we strive to manage the activities of every country in the world and the activities of every US citizen, right down to what they do with their own bodies. I propose people with a compulsive need to manage things focus their attention on their own activities and the world will be transformed.

Wilridge Winery Tasting Room

Another interesting anecdote involved a delightfully innovative idea to redo the facade of the Tieton Post Office in a mosaic to resemble a Tieton postage stamp. A Kickstarter campaign was started and exceeded the funding goal. Excitement grew for the project and it gained national attention. It seemed nothing could stop this artistic vision from becoming a reality. Then the phone rang.

It seems the story of the Tieton PO mosaic project had reached the postmaster general himself, and it was he who was on the other end of the line.

In what Ed described as a very cordial conversation, congratulations were given on both the creativity of the idea and achieving the funding goals. However, the postmaster pointed out, regretfully, that he could not allow the mosaic to proceed because he had tens of thousand of POs across the nation and if even a fraction of them undertook to redesign their facades, it would present a management nightmare for the postal service. Reluctantly, Ed agreed that he saw the postmaster's point. Thus died the Tieton Post Office Mosaic project.

As of 2017, the fruit industry and the economy in the Yakima Valley in general are rebounding and the road ahead is full of promise for Mighty Tieton. To stay abreast of the latest news, visit http://www.mightytieton.com. As a final thought, the next time life throws you a challenge. like a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, take the time to look around you. It may be the Universe tapping you on the shoulder to alert you to possibilities you otherwise never would have seen. Such is the magic of Tieton

To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.Ralph Waldo Emerson

May 1, 2017 I attended a one hour orientation meeting at the Mason County Economic Development Council offices featuring a FREE program for Mason County residents who are interested in starting their own small businesses. The program is conducted by Enterprise for Equity, a South Puget Sound Microenterprise Initiative. Thanks to a grant from the Washington Department of Commerce, Enterprise for Equity is offering their complete course, spanning 12 brainstorming, training and networking sessions for FREE. This would ordinarily cost upward of $3,000.

Enterprise for Equity was inspired by the success of micro-loan programs in Bangladesh, by the Grameen Bank. founded in 1983 by 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. Mr, Yunus noticed that, while the men would most often be hired out to large corporate concerns, or even working as laborers overseas, the women back at home were making ends meet with various cottage industries. He was interested to see what these industrious village women could do with their homespun businesses if they had access to a small amount of capital. The results were amazing. He found that they not only built successful small businesses, but his rate of repayment versus default was higher than a normal business loan.

The founders of Enterprise for Equity were inspired by this tale of success and decided that such a program might be able to work even better in a country with more resources. After attending a micro-credit summit in Washington DC, a core group of volunteers brought together 30 representatives of low-income serving agencies in the South Sound such as the Food Bank, Refugee and Immigrant Services Center, and Housing Authority to learn about the self-employment needs of the people they serve. Based on the information gathered from these social service organizations, the nonprofit Enterprise for Equity 501(c)3 was formed with the following mission:

“Our mission is to ensure that people with limited-incomes in the South Sound region have access to credit, technical assistance, training and support for small business development. These services are provided with the belief that people can and do transform their lives as they bring their strengths, initiative and dreams to their entrepreneurial efforts.”

The orientation was presented by Beth Henriguez, who is obviously a big believer in what she does. As she asked each attendee about their small business ideas, she listened intently, often offering support and encouragement for their ideas and suggesting resources that may be of use to them in the future.

There were only 4 of us in attendance: 2 would-be food truck operators and a lady who wanted to offer legal assistance for expat teachers helping with visa issues that arise when traveling between foreign countries.

I believe all three of the others registered for the program. I was really only there as an observer, but I found information on their website about an "Agri-preneur" program that I may just have to register for myself.

Sunday, April 30, 2017 saw citizens marching for immigrant rights in downtown Shelton, Washington. It was a show of support by locals for the rights of their friends and neighbors whom they have lived and worked alongside in the community for many years.

The marchers were peaceful, but outspoken in their desire to see human rights, respect and dignity extended to ALL of our fellow travelers on this planet and in Washington and Shelton in particular. It is worth noting that people make the great effort, and expose themselves to great risks, not because they are lazy parasites, but because they are wiling to strive mightily to provide better lives for their families.

If we're determined to keep the US population at the current level, may I make the modest proposal that we trade narrow-minded, self-righteous bigots for hard-working people earnestly desiring an opportunity for a better life? No doubt we have a bumper crop of haters ripe for export.

Saturday, April 29, 2017 was a most gratifying experience for me. Participating in the People's Climate March in Seattle gave me the sure and certain knowledge that there are millions of people in our country that are aware of the problems with climate and the environment, and are willing to rise up and take action.

The march was entirely peaceful. I heard marchers thanking police officers for their service in support of the protest and beyond. Spirits were high, although there was an element of anger and outrage at the cause and nature of the problems. The spirit of unity as citizens, human beings, and inhabitants of this marvelous planet was the prevailing emotion that carried the day.

From the mouths of babes...

It was refreshing to be outdoors in beautiful, historic downtown Seattle, in the midst of a throng of voices calling for justice and right action, instead of alone watching a TV screen relating the latest atrocities committed to make billionaires and corporations more money. If there was a number that would satisfy their appetites, I'd be in support of paying it to save thousands of species from extinction, including our own. However, as Henry Ford was purported to have answered when asked how much money he wanted, their answer is always "A little more".

After the march, as I made my way through the Seattle Ferry Terminal, I heard waiting passengers thanking protesters carrying signs for attending the march and expressing their views on their behalf and speaking truth to power. There may yet be hope...

This young man asked adults to stop global warming because if sea levels rise, short people will be the first to drown! Check out https://www.plant-for-the-planet.org/ to learn how kids are uniting in their own fight against climate change by planting trees.

I came across the fundamental tenets of the Satanic Temple the other day and I actually found them surprisingly reasonable:

There are seven fundamental tenets.

One should strive to act with compassion and empathy towards all creatures in accordance with reason.

The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.

One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.

The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo your own.

Beliefs should conform to our best scientific understanding of the world. We should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit our beliefs.

People are fallible. If we make a mistake, we should do our best to rectify it and resolve any harm that may have been caused.

Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word

I confess to finding the imagery of a Goat-Headed God disturbing, but the above tenets sound like ideas we need more of in the world.

Not many people are aware that the hebrew term "ha satan" means "the adversary" as in the prosecution in a court case. Conversely, the holy spirit, which the bible says Jesus sends to his followers is called a helper, comforter, advocate and counselor, which would be akin to a lawyer for the defense.

This is where I have a problem figuring out who is on which side. Some vocal "Christians" want "religious freedom" laws that allow them to refuse service to people they deem "sinful", yet their Bible, that they want taught in schools to the exclusion of science, states unequivocally "Judge not." and "Forgive seventy times seven" and numerous other straightforward admonitions to be forgiving and tolerant, patient and long-suffering.

So if Jesus takes the side of helper, comforter and advocate for the sinner, and Satan is making accusations and pressing charges he hopes will get people eternal life in hell without parole, I'd say people that want to punish people who somehow fall short, in their estimation, are more like Satan than Jesus and could more accurately be described as Satanists than Christians.

We live in a bizarro world where up is down and black is white, and reason has gone into hiding for fear of being labeled a heretic or a traitor to the cause. If there was a real Satan, such a system of self-righteous zealots persecuting (and prosecuting) anyone who deviates slightly from the conformity the "good people" propound would be ideal. This is why we lock people up and ruin their lives for smoking flowers and we have been known to chemically castrate homosexual males as recently as the 60s. If somebody is poor, unemployed, or homeless, or sick without insurance, they must have done some evil thing that required punishment. From pulpits across the land, pastors are encouraging their flocks to be on guard against sin and not to countenance sinners in their homes or places of business. The problem then is, the true sinner, and the only one you can effectively change, is in the mirror.

In the movie "Excalibur", Arthur asks Merlin, "Where hides evil in my kingdom, then?", to which Merlin replies, "Always... where you never expect it. Always."

Perfect Reflections Auto Body

The first businessman I encountered in Shelton, WA was Bob Rosie of Perfect Reflections Auto Body. He greeted me cheerfully and quickly set about taking pictures of my mangled door and dangling power mirror assembly. I told him about my budget requirements and he told me he could get me used parts that would save me quite a bit. I liked the fact that he didn't try to shame me into spending more money on an aesthetically perfect result. He was a guy that understood sometimes people just can't afford perfection and was helpful in sourcing the used parts to save me some money.

The parts came in ahead of schedule, the work was done, while I waited in their comfortable waiting room, and I was out of there there same morning with a repair that exceeded my expectations and a bill that was exactly what we discussed. This was a good omen for my time ahead here in Shelton.

Perfect Reflections Auto Body

W. 101 Hulbert Rd.

Shelton, WA 98584

Office: (360) 426-0805

Fax: (360) 426-8957

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Batstone Bud Shop

The first cannabis dispensary I visited in Shelton was Batstone Bud Shop. From the outside, I confess to being a little put off by the name and the logo. Bats in popular culture are not generally thought of as harbingers of light and good fortune, but generally accompany vampires. I'm glad I was able to put aside my anti-bat prejudices and discover what was within. Incidentally, the name derives from the location at the corner of Batstone Cutoff Rd (probably a whole story behind that name in itself) and John's Prairie Rd. I also learned very few actual vampires shop there, which is a good thing. Nothing worse than a vampire with the munchies.

I was greeted by a pleasant young man named Stephen (pronounced Steffen) who, after checking my ID, asked what I was interested in today. I explained that I was new to Shelton and I was interested in learning more about local businesses whose core mission resonated with my own interests and beliefs. I explained that I was interested in writing about organizations doing good things in the world and I was a longtime advocate of cannabis, in all its forms, and how I saw it as a wonder plant, the virtues of which we were being unjustly deprived.

He handed me a glossy magazine called Everything Medical Marijuana and told me it was a publication they were producing. Then he asked if I would like to meet the guy who made it. Sometimes the Universe seems to care just for you.

Claude Mahmood came out from the back and I got the sense of a totally authentic person following his vision in his work. As we spoke, it became evident that this enterprise was not about profits above all, but working to increase knowledge about the healing properties of cannabis and helping people find relief from their suffering. He told me about one of the owners, Jami, whose son's muscular dystrophy responded to cannabis better than pharmaceutical drugs and with fewer side effects.

About that time, Jami walked in. The impression I got from Jami is she is a fighter. Not in the aggressive confrontational way, but the way a mother overcomes all obstacles as an advocate for her child. I'd say compassion was her passion.

She explained how she resented the way the state of Washington made all medical dispensaries become recreational marijuana outlets. Her focus was on healing and symptom relief, not helping people get stoned on a weekend (not that there's anything wrong with that).

One of the problems that come with recreational marijuana is the focus on THC levels. If you're buying a product for a buzz, your inclination might be to get the most THC for your cannabis dollar. On a personal note, I think that can be a mistake - a strain like Critical Cure with a 9% THC and matching CBD can make for a much more pleasant experience than a 25% THC strain whose potency that might cause anxiety. A huge portion of Batstone's focus is CBD Outreach. CBD is non-psychoactive, but contains many anti-inflammatory and anti-seizure properties. Not much recreation there, but a world of relief.

The other problem Jami shared with me was that some recreational grow operations are more about maximizing profits than providing pure product or medicine. Some growers are using pesticides and other chemicals on their plants that may be downright dangerous if ignited and the smoke inhaled. These chemicals have not been tested for this use and who knows what carcinogens are in the smoke of a miticide or fungicide? This is why Batstone keeps only a small number of trusted organic growers as suppliers. The dedication to providing only pure medical cannabis products also benefits the recreational patrons of Batstone Bud Shop.

At one point during our discussion of pesticides and commercial grows, Jami mentioned that home grows are really the best option for people who are able. When I asked if that wouldn't diminish her business, she replied it was more important that people could be sure of getting the clean, natural medicine they need than for her to make a few extra bucks.

Store number: 360-426-2000

Shelton Timberland Library

The Shelton Timberland Library (William G. Reed Public Library) is an excellent facility for locals and vistors alike. The building and the grounds are lovely and the library's elevation on a hill gives it a nice view of the town below. Indoors it is quite comforable and spacious with music, movies and wi-fi on offer as well as books. The library staff are quite proficient and personable and they even have a security guard/unofficial doorman that warmly welcomes visitors. As I write, I'm sitting at a small two-person table with power for my laptop and plenty of broadband wi-fi for me to do my work.

Adopt-A-Pet Shelton, WA

As part of my mission to get to know the local organizations doing good things in Shelton, I stopped in at Adopt-A-Pet at 940 E Jensen Road in Shelton. I feared I might be walking into a depressing environment full of unloved, cast-off dogs, but I was delighted to find a cheery, clean, well-run operation staffed by friendly, helpful people who REALLY love dogs.

When I arrived, a middle-aged couple were picking up a dog named Cougar and taking him to his new home. Both the couple and the dog were excited and I could tell the staff was full of the warm satisfaction that comes from making a love match.

Cougar has a new home

The "No-Kill" shelter is funded entirely by donations and operated entirely by volunteers so " the majority of the funds we raise goes to the dogs."as it says on the Adopt-A-Pet website, http://www.adoptapet-wa.org/

One of the volunteers, we'll call her Linda, because that's her name, showed me around and enlightened me as to the wonderful work they are doing there. Although the operation is funded entirely by donations, they not only house, feed and find homes for dogs, but they provide donations of dog food to food banks (so poor peoples' dogs can eat too), vouchers for spaying/neutering (both for puppies too young for the procedure when adopted out, but also for residents of Mason County who need help paying for the procedures), and help with certain emergency vet bills. From what I could glean from my visit, increasing the overall health and happiness of the dogs of Mason County is the overriding mission and Adopt-A-Pet is far more than a warehouse for cast-off pets.

The facility is set up for a maximum of 35 dogs, but averages 15-18 at any given time. Adult dogs are sterilized and brought up to date on their vaccinations and any health conditions are treated. Puppies get two set of shots before being adopted out and, when they are old enough to be spayed or neutered, Adopt-A-Pet will give you a voucher to take to one of the local veterinarians that offer discounted services to Adopt-A-Pet.

The facility features three large play yards for dogs to get a good work out in the fresh air. The kennels have concret floors (for ease of cleaning one imagines) and are open to the outdors on one side and have an entrance into a sheltered area with heating in the slab. I've never had underfloor heating in any of my dwellings, so good for them! There are smaller separated areas adjacent to the main office/lobby area for puppies and a couple of extra kennels for occasions requiring separation or quarantining.

If you're an animal lover, you're probably wondering how you can help out. Aside from the perennial need for cash donations all non-profits struggle with, Adopt-A-Pet also accepts donations of dog food and toys. There is also a need for volunteers, not just to physically care for the dogs' needs, but to help in the office, with fundraising events, community outreach, facility construction and maintenance, and of particular interest at the moment, a treasurer to do the all important work of keeping track of the financial side of things.

Another program that is in the early stages is a dog fostering program. If you're one of those people who'd like to have more dogs, but dont want to commit to maintaining an entire pack for life, this may be a path for you to explore.

I'd like to thank Linda and Catherine for taking time to visit with me and Di for her hard work as kennel manager. I'd like to close with this thought:

I think the dogs that have found their way to this shelter are some of the luckiest dogs in the world, and I feel pretty lucky as well to have found my way to a special community that supports this good work.

Exceptional Foresters Inc

My first Shelton Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours was at Exceptional Foresters, Inc. Initially, I thought it might be a company specializing in modern sustainable forestry, but it turns out it is a non-profit that focuses on helping developmentally challenged people find ways to live productive lives with a sense worth and self-esteem.

Exceptional Foresters Inc main offices

EFI's story began in 1957, a time many Americans regard as a golden age. Yes, it was a time when an average guy could get a decent paying job right out of high school and in a few years be able to buy a house and car and support a wife and kids on only his income. It was also a time when decent folk didn't talk about unpleasant realities such as racisim, sexism, and persecution for unpopular religious and/or political views. One unfortunate class of victims of this "See no evil, Speak no evil" attitude were the developmentally challenged, who were often either institutionalized, or hidden away from view when company came over.

During this period, Bob and Louise Kimbel were raising two mentally retarded sons and they diligently searched for an alternative to shipping their boys off to an institution, or keeping them cloistered at home for the rest of their lives. Their efforts led them to a small government office in Olympia called Education for the Handicapped. The manger of that office explained that there was no education/vocational program for people with mental disabilities and if they wanted one, they would have to create one. He gave them a basic outline on how such a program might be implemented and the Kimbles took that information back to Mason County and set to work building the program they imagined for their sons.

Initially, the work for their wards was mainly in the forestry industry, that being the dominant force in the economy at the time, but today clients are employed in many diverse businesses and organizations. Clients are taught basic skills, not only for job functions, but life skills necessary to live independent lives on their own, if they're equipped for that. Skills such as personal finance management, how to use public transportation, meal preparation and nutrition, and advice for purchasing services and merchandise.

As they celebrate their 60th anniversary, Exceptional Foresters Inc has grown to over 100 clients and a support staff of over 100 as well.

If you would like to support the great work being done at EFI, here are some of the ways you can help....

Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce

Having moved to the Shelton, Washington area on April Fool's Day 2017 knowing no one and having no job, or real plan (other than trying to find a way to put my internet and language skills to use promoting things I truly believe in) ,I knew I needed to find a way to connect with the community and meet the people who were going to be my neighbors, and hopefully clients.

My experience with the Rockport, Texas Chamber of Commerce way back in 2000 (I'm still a member even though we moved away several years ago) taught me that a relationship with a good chamber of commerce is the single best investment a new business, or resident for that matter, can make. I hoped the Shelton-Mason County Chamber would be an organization of similar quality.

Shelton/Mason County Chamber office on Railroad St.

On my first visit, I was greeted by Heidi McCutcheon, the executive director. I was struck by both the attentiveness of her listening skills and her readiness with answers and helpful suggestions. She made me aware of most of the benefits of membership and the costs and payment options. She also gave me an overview of some of the new things happening in the business community. You could tell she was genuinely interested in helping to promote the local economy and general welfare of the community where she was born and raised.

On my second visit to the Chamber office I was greeted by Deidre Peterson, the membership director. She is a Shelton native daughter as well and is equally attentive in listening and ready with answers and suggestions. One impression I got was of high energy. She seemed to be almost bursting with the desire to be helpful and showed me several local organizations that I might have an interest in contacting to introduce myself and my services. So far, things were looking quite promising.

I attended my first chamber networking opportunity at a business after hours mixer at Exceptional Foresters, Inc., an organization that assists people with special needs in finding employment and helps them achieve lives as independent as their particular challenges permit. The event had lots and lots of people from local businesses, organizations and government and I was a bit taken aback, not knowing who to approach and fearing my large, hairy, sasquatch-like appearance may be off-putting to the local townsfolk.

I was relieved when Heidi walked over to the wall with which I was merging and began casually chatting with me, thus letting it be seen that I was a generally amiable and approachable person, despite the rough exterior. She introduced me to my chamber "ambassador", Carrie Lemmon of the United Way in Shelton and the rest of the evening was spent visitng with Carrie and easing in and out of conversations as the spirit moved me at any moment. To summarize, it was a successful debut outing.

Overall, some adjectives that convey my impression of both ladies at the chamber office are: sharp, engaged, invested, enthusiastic and committed. I feel my memberhsip dues have been invested wisely and look forward to discovering what more this new relationship will bring.

Bear in a Box

I'm driving back from Maplewood Farms, going through Allyn, Washington and the most fantastic shapes, colors and textures caught my eye as I cruised by. The sun had just peeked out and the scene was so striking I had to go back and get a closer look.

I had stumbled upon Bear in a Box, home of the George Kenny School of Chainsaw Carving.

As you shall see in the following images, the things this guy, his pupils, and his fellow professional chainsaw carvers can do to a piece of wood is marvelous. As big a role as timber plays in this part of the world: jobs, fuel, building material, etc., it's wonderful to see it pressed into service as a first rate medium for artistic expression and just plain whimsical fun.

Maplebrook Farm

Although I'm meeting new people and discovering neat things about my new home here in Shelton, WA, I miss my dogs, especially having an English Shepherd to walk with twice a day. I heard of a possible re-home of a grown female English Shepherd in Gig Harbor, a little over half an hour away from my new place, but when I contacted the owner I was informed the dog had been adopted several months prior. Then an upcoming litter was mentioned. Thus an e-mail dialogue between myself and Sherie McMullen began and I learned she was doing some neat stuff on the 5 acre mini farm she shares with her husband Tim.

The house at Maplebrook Farm

They have 4 English Shepherds plus about 20 hens, 2 roosters, 3 Katahdin cross hair sheep, a few lionhead rabbits and lots of raised beds, raspberry canes and fruit trees. A new greenhouse graces the property and fresh mulch and compost are being put in place for the upcoming market gardening season.

Sherie was on the forefront of the homeschooling movement and spent many years education her now grown children. Now that they are empty-nesters, the Sherie and Tim decided they wanted to keep the place they'd spent so many happy years in and figure out a use for which to put the extra space. Since lots of home-school moms look for enriching experiences for their children, the concept of a "farm stay" with animal and other education classes was born. There is no shortage of books and educational material amassed from decades of Sherie's home schooling 4 kids and outdoor hands-on education is always an option.

This rooster has a beard - chicks dig it!

"Is that really all the feed I get?"

If you have an interest in booking a stay at this novel home schooling B&B, for lack of a better description, or you want to learn more about the English Shepherd dog and upcoming litters, you can contact Sherie through her website: https://maplebrookfarm.wordpress.com/

The Lewis and Clark Expedition is a example of a tale of courage and success that inspired the world.

In May of 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark embarked on one of the most amazing journeys of discovery ever undertaken. Departing from the east side of the Mississippi River at camp Dubois, Illinois, Lewis and Clark led the Corps of Discovery on an adventure that would traverse one of the largest land masses on planet, encountering many strange and wondrous plants, animals and indigenous peoples, as well as the majestic and forbidding Rocky Mountains.

Lewis and Clark, along with about 35 corps members, a Newfoundland dog named Seaman, and captain Clark's slave, York made the perilous journey in 2 years, 4 months and 10 days, losing only one man to what is believed to be appendicitis.

Along the way, the men mapped the newly acquired Louisiana Territory, documented many new types of flora and fauna, made first contact with many Native American tribes and were almost captured by Spanish forces sent to intercept and imprison them to keep them from making a claim on western lands that Spain regarded as hers.

We can be certain these brave souls suffered pains and privations, and experienced a level of fear and trepidation most of us will never know. However, the wonder of their adventure made it worth the sacrifices they endured. They could have gotten safe jobs as army clerks and died wrapped in a shawl in gouty anonymity, but their courage made their lives extraordinary, for themselves, and for generations to come.

Whenever a person adds a dog to their life, they can expect changes in their daily activities. When I added a border collie named Clyde to our lives, a whole new world opened up.

Left to right Bonnie, Debi, Clyde (Bonnie has just met the little guy)

We got Clyde when he was about 8 weeks old, and he was smart as a whip even then. He was fetching tennis balls the same day I brought him home. He was constantly looking at us, alternately, expectantly and quizzically, as if he were waiting for a command to execute or a mission to embark upon.

After a week or two, I noticed I could direct him which way to circle around the coffee table in the living room with a hand gesture. Sit, stay, lie down were mastered easily with both voice commands and hand gestures. He really was too much, and those piercing blue eyes, always looking to me to see

what new job the "boss" had for him, just knocked me out.

When he was three months old, we took Clyde to a friend's ranch where they raised Boer goats, as well as beef cattle and Mediterranean Miniature Donkeys. There was a herd of maybe 20 young goats, all under a year old, and we released Clyde to see how he would react to his ancestral drives. At first he crouched, nose quivering and looked back and forth between the goats and me. I gestured and told him "Go on" and he snapped into action, not charging into the mass of goat flesh, but circling, tighter and tighter, till he had them in such a tight ball they were starting to panic and our friend, Claire, asked me to call him off for fear of the goats hurting themselves. It hadn't occurred to me that it might be a problem calling an excited puppy off in this situation, but I yelled his name and he broke off and returned obediently to my side. I was so proud I could have almost burst. That was when our lives changed forever.

The first goats that were "his"

When you have the privilege of watching a dog do what it was born to do, it moves you to arrange things in your life so that you can see this thing of beauty over and over. It may be sled dogs, pointers, retrievers, greyhounds, terrier "go to ground", search and rescue, security and attack dogs, or any of the many activities such as agility, fly ball, or even dog dancing, when you see a dog immersed in an activity it clearly enjoys, earnestly trying to please its master, it gives you a warm feeling of well-being. It's as if all the nuisances and annoyances of everyday life drop away and there's just a person and their dog in a beautiful ancient dance.

We already had a shelter dog, Bonnie, when we got Clyde, so we certainly didn't need any more animals in our 800 sq foot house and 50 x 125 lot, but I wanted to see Clyde grow into his potential. We started looking for acreage and found a little over 3 acres less than a mile from our house at the time.

It was totally undeveloped, to the point that the only access to it was a promise of a road to be put in at a later date. Still, it was within our budget and conveniently close, so we became landed folk.

Three acres in Texas is barely a horseshoe pit, but I was determined to put some four-legged animals on it for Clyde to manage. After a bit of research, I decided that Nigerian Dwarf goats would be perfect for our young sheep dog in training, so we set out to locate some. In one of those flukes in which it seems the Universe is actively listening, a casual mention of my plan to a long time friend and associate prompted him to mention that his long time girlfriend's mom just so happened to raise those very goats. I couldn't believe it - I had only stumbled across Nigerian Dwarfs very recently on a Google search, and here was a friend of a friend in the area who had been raising them for years, and had a great need to reduce the size of her herd.

We wound up getting 6 goats: 4 does (one of them pregnant), 1 buck and 1 wether (a neutered buck). This was the start of the GrailQuest Farms herd.

Merlin was our foundation buckling and Clyde was fascinated

The pregnant doe, named Splendid (wishful thinking on the previous owner's part), was the herd "queen" and spent a lot of time butting the lesser does in their sides. When goats are place in new environments with new barn/pen mates, they do a lot of butting to determine the ranking within the herd. It settles down after a few days and everybody mostly gets along, until a new goat is introduced and everybody has to figure out where they are in the pecking order again. It’s kind of like high school.

We let the goats get acclimated to their new surroundings. The goats had never lived outside a pen in a barn, so having over an acre of ground to explore was a real treat for them. Eventually it was time to put them into the barn - Clyde's big moment.

Now these goats were not a cohesive unit as they had all been in separate pens and had no real social bonds, but the sight of a black and white canine slinking around them with head down caused their instinct to bunch up to kick in. Naturally Splendid couldn't just accept being bossed around, even if it was by a predator, so she tested Clyde's mettle with a charge, but Clyde jumped aside and nipped at her as her charge missed. I don't know if he even made contact with skin, he certainly didn't cause her any injury, but he did convince her that the best direction to go was away from this slinking, crouching, nipping creature with the staring blue eyes. I used a few gestures and commands like "go around" and "lay down" (I believe "lie down" is the correct term, but my Texas linguistic idiosyncrasies crept in), and before long all the goats were in the barn. I called Clyde back to me where he greeted me with excited licking and panting and an expression that said, "That was fun! Can we do it again?" I didn't want to stress a pregnant goat too much, but I must admit that I was ready to do it again too.

As a young dog, Clyde used to enjoy fetching from and swimming in the ponds, but as he got older, his main interest was livestock. When we added chickens, he was fixated for days. When a new goat was born he would stare almost motionless for hours. He was absorbed with "his" livestock and ever ready to move them. He had an instinct for just how much pressure to apply with his stalking and eye contact to get them moving without panicking them into a full gallop.

The bad news, or good news depending on how you look at it, was that the goats got used to the daily routine and would put themselves in the barn at feeding time, leaving Clyde nothing to do but make a token roundup on goats that were going into the barn whether he was there or not. This was not really satisfying for either of us, so I decided sheep were required to up the level of challenge.

I knew I didn't want wool sheep because I didn't want to shear them and the Texas heat would be too hard on them if I let them go Rastafarian, so we started looking at the so called “hair” breeds who don't produce wool. There are a few: Barbados, Dorper, St. Croix, Katahdin and a few others. We found a breeder outside San Antonio who had Dorper/St.Croix cross lambs and purchased 3 – 2 ewes and a ram. Since this was to be our founding herd, we named them George Washington, Martha, and Betsy Ross.

Martha, Betsy and their lambs Blanca and Stew

They were about 3 months old and totally freaked out by the move, but Clyde and I managed to get them to the back pasture we had separated off for the male goats, and there the fun began.

Sheep tend to bunch up tighter than goats which makes them easier to move through narrow spaces, and allows a greater degree of control with less pressure from the dog. Other than the “outrun”, which is the initial run the dog makes to get to the far side of the sheep in the field to turn them back to the penning area, most of the dog's work is simply loping, walking and lying down. One or two steps can get recalcitrant sheep moving again and lying down allows sheep that are moving too fast to calm down and slow the pace. Over time Clyde learned the ways of sheep and that we wanted to put them in the barn. It would have been nice to have large acreage to be able send him on wide, sweeping outruns and watch him gather the flock from the hills, but we managed to have lots of fun and satisfaction on a couple of acres just moving sheep in different directions around the pond.

As a matter of course, our ewes conceived and grew heavy with lambs. The pregnancy hormones made Betsy Ross irritable and one day she decided she'd had enough of the black and white dog on her heels and she turned on him and charged. Clyde deftly dodged to the side and came back at her, hitting her where her neck joined the shoulder and knocking the surprised sheep over. He didn't bite her, or attack her while she was on the ground – he'd made his point and Betsy learned to respect Clyde from that day on.

We discovered that there was a Scottish Highland Games festival held in the town of Helotes outside San Antonio, and sheepdog trials were a part of the festivities. They had a novice class for inexperienced dogs and we decided we had nothing to lose and it might be fun, so we loaded up Silkie and Clyde and went to San Antonio for the weekend.

We watched some very accomplished dogs moving sheep masterfully and many failed utterly, which was encouraging to me, since Clyde and I had never trained for competition. When our turn came, I sent Clyde on an outrun to gather the four sheep that had been released at the far end of about a 75-yard long enclosure. Clyde started on his outrun but then got sidetracked by the strange smells he encountered on the way. Who were these strange dogs that had been there before him? These weren't his sheep, and this wasn't his pasture. Was it okay to take charge in this new place with these new sheep? I tried to reassure him and urge him on, but by the time we got around behind the sheep time expired. Fortunately there were two runs and on the second run he did much better. We didn't get the sheep penned before time expired, but he had them almost within range for me to sweep them in with my shepherd's crook. This second performance actually won him the novice class and $30, so we broke even on the entry fee. We never competed again, but it is one of my fondest memories of our time with sheep.

One day, George the ram got a bit too full of himself and decided to butt my wife, almost breaking her arm in the process. It was a fatal mistake on his part, and soon we were full of him too, in the form of sausage. We processed the ewes a few months later and thus ended the sheep chapter.

We moved to Trinity, Texas and put in a catfish pond and got some ducks. Clyde was excellent at herding ducks and chickens. We had 5 acres at that point and some shoddy fencing in the back, so he had a chance to round up the goats on the occasions they escaped into the neighbor's pasture.

It was in Trinity where Clyde had his most challenging herding mission. By then we had added a couple of English Shepherds named Sam and Shasta to our mini farm. One night all the dogs were barking frantically so I went out to investigate. The source of the commotion was a wandering skunk. I called the English Shepherds off and put them in the house. Meanwhile, Clyde was on point back at the skunk. I had a shotgun, but I really didn't want to shoot a skunk so close to the house and have the whole yard filled with the aroma for days afterward. Clyde had a better idea and started herding the skunk away from the house! Talk about a dog with finely tuned instincts about how much pressure to apply when moving stock. In 5 minutes we had the skunk to the edge of the woods, and neither Clyde nor myself was tainted in the least. Good dog!

We moved again, this time near the central Texas town of Seguin, about 30 miles from San Antonio. The place was ten acres divided into two pastures for male and female goats respectively. Debi decided we needed a younger buck to replace our aging buck, Puck.

Disco was a small white goat with a nice long beard, but a highly nervous disposition. I carried him to the back pasture and set him down. He immediately ran to the farthest corner of the property and stayed in the corner all day. When feeding time came and it was time to put the goats up in the barn, we had to press Clyde into service. I think Disco was too fearful to move. Clyde tried a few times to get behind him and move things along, but Disco always turned to face him, rather that moving away in the opposite direction. Both animals were getting more tense as the standoff dragged on. They were standing face to face about 2 feet apart when Disco suddenly charged and butted Clyde right on top of his head. Clyde was visibly shaken and was a bit unsteady on his feet. We did eventually get Disco in the barn, but Clyde was never the same after that encounter. We noticed his hearing diminish and then disappear soon afterward. He was still a great dog and responded well to hand signals, but the days of giving voice commands, and trusting him to carry them out, were over.

Clyde is 14 years old now, and he doesn't get around very well, but every new goat kid born on the farm still gets his undivided attention for days on end. Border Collies are NOT for everybody, but if you have the time and the lifestyle to devote the time and attention they require, you will be rewarded with an experience most dog owners can only dream of.

GrailQuest Adventures – Seeking Paths with Heart

We hope to share stories here that inspire, encourage, or just showcase ways of living more self-sufficiently and sustainably.

I will start things off by describing some of the rewarding experiences I've had so far, and some of the twists and turns unfolding on this adventure now. It is my hope that some of you kind readers out there will share some of your favorite anecdotes, experiences, quotes, ideas, etc. to help build a repository of positive messages for a world in need of faith, hope and courage.

The phrase "A path with heart" comes from the book by Carlos Castaneda, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge. Here is a relevant passage:

“Anything is one of a million paths. Therefore you must always keep in mind that a path is only a path; if you feel you should not follow it, you must not stay with it under any conditions. To have such clarity you must lead a disciplined life. Only then will you know that any path is only a path and there is no affront, to oneself or to others, in dropping it if that is what your heart tells you to do. But your decision to keep on the path or to leave it must be free of fear or ambition. I warn you. Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary.

This question is one that only a very old man asks. Does this path have a heart? All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. They are paths going through the bush, or into the bush. In my own life I could say I have traversed long long paths, but I am not anywhere. Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn't, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn't. One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you.

Before you embark on any path ask the question: Does this path have a heart? If the answer is no, you will know it, and then you must choose another path. The trouble is nobody asks the question; and when a man finally realizes that he has taken a path without a heart, the path is ready to kill him. At that point very few men can stop to deliberate, and leave the path. A path without a heart is never enjoyable. You have to work hard even to take it. On the other hand, a path with heart is easy; it does not make you work at liking it.

I have told you that to choose a path you must be free from fear and ambition. The desire to learn is not ambition. It is our lot as men to want to know. The path without a heart will turn against men and destroy them. It does not take much to die, and to seek death is to seek nothing."

- Carlos Castaneda, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge

May 1, 2017 I attended a one hour orientation meeting at the Mason County Economic Development Council offices featuring a FREE program for Mason County residents who are interested in starting their...